COLOMBIA: Donors Set Conditions for Support for Paramilitary Disarmament

By Constanza Vieira Reprint | | Print |

Constanza Vieira

CARTAGENA, Colombia, Feb 4 2005 (IPS) - International donors meeting in this northern Colombian coastal resort made greater support for the current paramilitary demobilisation process contingent on the passage of legislation that would ensure “truth, justice and reparations” for the victims of human rights abuses.

The government of President Alvaro Uribe was hoping to win approval from the international community in the Thursday and Friday donor conference, in order to gain financial support for the paramilitary disarmament process.

Since June, the members of right-wing paramilitary groups have been laying down their arms as part of negotiations with the government aimed at their reintegration into society. But the process has drawn much criticism and little international support.

A group of U.S. legislators called in a letter Thursday for the demobilisation process to require that the paramilitary fighters confess to their crimes, provide information on their drug trafficking networks, and hand over illegally acquired wealth, including land.

And a communique released Thursday by Refugees International – USA says the “Demobilisation of the paramilitary, a deadly force in Colombia, responsible for countless assassinations, acts of extortion, drug trafficking and forced displacement of hundreds of thousands of Colombians, is a positive step in the process towards peace.”

“However, the proposed demobilisation in effect sanctions impunity for illegal acts and rewards one of the perpetrators of violence in Colombia at the expense of the victims,” the non-governmental organisation adds.

“Considering the wealth that the paramilitary have gained by force, leading to access to vast amounts of land and large-scale agricultural production, as well as their illicit enrichment in the trafficking of cocaine, it is imprudent for the Colombian government and foreign donors to offer them further resources for demobilisation,” says Refugees International.

The members of the United Self-Defence Forces of Colombia (AUC), the paramilitary umbrella, who have handed in their weapons so far have been maintained with funds from the Colombian government’s office of the high commissioner for peace, the commissioner himself, Luis Carlos Restrepo, told IPS.

The government is requesting tens of millions of dollars in foreign aid to support the demobilisation.

The final declaration of the G-24, as the international group of donors meeting in Cartagena is known, came a day after the collapse of negotiations between the rightist Uribe administration and lawmakers of different stripes, on legislation aimed at holding the paramilitaries accountable for abuses.

The United Nations and leading human rights organisations like Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch blame the paramilitary militias for the vast majority of atrocities committed in Colombia’s armed conflict.

The final statement issued late Thursday by the donors in Cartagena reaffirms the principles contained in the declaration adopted at an earlier donors meeting, held in London in July 2003, which conditioned international aid for war-torn Colombia on compliance with a list of U.N. human rights recommendations.

Taking part in this week’s two-day meeting were high-level representatives of EU member states, the European Commission, Norway, Switzerland, Japan, Canada, the United States, Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Mexico, and of international organisations like U.N. agencies, the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank.

Like the final document adopted during the 2003 donors conference in London, the declaration released Thursday will serve as a “road map” for an international policy of assistance for Colombia, and will thus shape concrete decisions on cooperation and aid.

The declaration recognises the Uribe administration’s efforts to strengthen the well-being and security of all citizens, and to fight terrorism and drugs, while it acknowledges improved governability and oversight mechanisms to ensure respect for the law, human rights and international humanitarian law.

It also looks favourably on the viewpoints of civil society as an important contribution to the construction of a dialogue in search of peace in Colombia.

A broad civil society meeting was held Wednesday by Colombian non-governmental organisations, including indigenous, women’s and peace groups, trade union federations, the Catholic Church and the Colombian federation of municipalities.

A statement released by the civil society gathering, and read during the two-day donors conference, said priorities for international cooperation should include “human rights and international humanitarian law, rural development, food security, the small farm economy, and support for the displaced population and the victims of hostile actions.”

The groups also stressed “the replacement of illegal (drug) crops through alternative development programmes, the defence of sustainable development, peace initiatives…humanitarian actions, the strengthening of civil society, and the fight against poverty.”

With respect to the demands set forth by the declaration adopted at the official donors meeting, Gustavo Gallón, head of the Colombian Commission of Jurists, an internationally respected human rights organisation, said “If I had to underline just one aspect, it would be the international community’s demand for results in terms of prompt compliance with international human rights recommendations.”

“The negative aspects that may exist (in this week’s declaration) are of little importance,” he added.

But, the activist pointed out, the declaration produced by the donors meeting in London contained similar demands “a year and a half ago, and the government’s compliance with the recommendations has left a lot to be desired.”

This week’s donors declaration also stresses the importance of dialogue and cooperation between the Colombian government and civil society, including the private sector.

The G-24 will continue to work in a coordinated manner, with the participation of civil society and the pertinent international bodies, within the “London process”, says the text.

That was interpreted by observers as a recommendation that Uribe should continue the dialogue with non-governmental organisations that his government has engaged in over the past few months – under pressure from the G-24 – to build a “human rights plan of action”, and to improve his relations with U.N. officials.

In practice, the Uribe administration declared U.N. special representative James LeMoyne “persona non grata” in January. LeMoyne’s mission is to help search for a political solution to Colombia’s four-decade armed conflict.

According to Uribe, Colombia is facing a “terrorist threat”, rather than an “armed conflict”.

It is “a serious thing to say there is an armed conflict when there isn’t one. But to me it is absolutely inconceivable to say that there is no armed conflict in Colombia,” said Luis Carlos Villegas, president of the Consejo Gremial Nacional, a business association that was among the signatories of the document produced by Wednesday’s civil society meeting.

Uribe also sees the guerrillas as “terrorists” with whom it is impossible to negotiate, while the United Nations and local and international civil society are urging the government to hold peace talks with all of the illegal armed groups, to come up with a negotiated solution to the conflict.

Canada’s ambassador to Colombia, Jean-Marc Duval, the chairman of the G-24, said “The idea is to work with the government on a national plan for integral assistance (for victims of the war) and a humanitarian action plan,” both of which are in the process of being drawn up.

The donors declaration also calls on “the illegal armed groups (paramilitaries and leftist guerrillas) to commit to a ceasefire and a serious peace process, and respect international humanitarian law and the rights of Colombians.”

The declaration urges these groups to cease attacks on the civilian population, the recruitment of minors and extortion, put an end to the production and trafficking of illegal drugs, and immediately release all hostages.

It also underscores the possible benefits of a “humanitarian accord” in keeping with international humanitarian law.

The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), the main rebel organisation, is pressing for a humanitarian agreement to swap a group of military, police and civilian hostages for around 500 imprisoned insurgents.

The highest-profile hostage is former presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt, who has been held by the rebels for three years.

But on Thursday, Uribe reiterated his three conditions for negotiating a humanitarian swap: that government security forces would not be removed from the area where the prisoner-hostage exchange was to take place (as has occurred in past exchanges); that the “terrorist guerrillas” who are released “cannot return to committing crimes”; and that only insurgents convicted of “rebellion and sedition”, rather than any other charges, would be eligible for the swap.